Unfortunately, like many Western women, some days I look through my closet and I think I have nothing to wear. However, I have a secret weapon. It is just when I have lost all hope of being stylish and comfy that I can turn to my trusty abaya (əˈbīə/noun 1. a full-length, loose, outer garment that can be easily be slipped on over the head). Never too tight or scratchy, this instant classic and friend of your wardrobe is there to save the day time and time again. Sure, she may not grace the pages of the latest Vogue, but nowadays abayas are being designed in every color, shape and style imaginable.
So stand back pants (or skirt) and top- let’s discuss the top 5 reasons why abayas are truly awesome.
There’s always too much
5. Laundry Day Cover Ups
All I have left is this pink knit skirt to go with this over-sized blue and brown t-shirt … throw on a nice abaya- instant sophistication!
Which one of these is my trick mirror again?
4. Instant Slimmerizer
It looks like I lose a few percentages of body fat just by wearing these things. Rolls? Muffin top? Not that you can tell! It is like spanx for the woman who will not be encased like a flippin’ sausage.
Why can’t I go to class like this?
3. Decency in an Emergency
Whoops, I am late for class/work, etc. – good thing I can just slip this on. Wearing pajamas at the grocery store has never been so much fun. (Also I suspect that was probably why Mona Lisa smiles ever so slyly. She was actually wearing jammies under her Renaissance abaya, and Leonardo da Vinci was none the wiser.)
You mean you don’t own one of these? How strange…
2. Fashionista Always
In the West, have you ever encountered another Muslimah sporting the exact same abaya with the exact same hijab as you? Yeah, me neither. Feel like you are wearing couture, and laugh as you walk past the GAP -then turn around and walk in because you see they have cute scarves.
Avoid this look
1. Prevents Blushing
I don’t have to worry about my shirt riding up, or any other bits of me being exposed without my knowledge (especially when I have to perform salah/prayer). I equate this with more comfort and I find it hard to ever say no to comfort (Hey, Comfort … call me …).
Sure it is tempting to follow Western trends, just make sure you are comfortable both physically and spiritually with whatever you grab from your closet (or … um … from the laundry basket).
Whenever in doubt, break the abaya out.
Salams-
Gracie
Has your abaya ever saved the day? Tell us about your favorite one below!
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While roaming around on Tumblr, I found this post from zindagichist, and it so perfectly described the idea that lead me to Islam that I couldn’t resist blogging it.
Q: Salam. I understand that Christianity and Judaism came before Islam. Why?
Why didn’t Allah just send prophets to strengthen one religion
(maybe Christianity), and not completely form a different religion later on: Islam?
A: Walikum Salaam,
A common misunderstanding is that Islam is the youngest among the Abrahamic faiths, and to be quite frank, this is not true.
Islam says that there were 124,000 Prophets.
Adam (Peace and Blessing be Upon Him-PBUH) was the first human being on earth as well as the first Prophet. From these Prophets, included Moses, Jesus, David, Solomon, Jacob, peace be upon them all. The message which Moses and Jesus taught is no different than Adam or Prophet Muhammad.
Their messages were consistent with each other without a shadow of doubt. But you see each Prophet was sent to a certain community, while the last Prophet (Muhammad-PBUH) was sent for all of humanity. Each Prophet was sent to a community for a specific reason, keep that in mind.
There all part of one religion.The concept of ‘Judaism’ or ‘Christianity’ came later by individuals who did not even see or hear Jesus or Moses.
Moses and Aaron were both prophets and they lived during the same time, with the same intention of guidance. People still wanted to kill them. Allah sent many messengers, but society still wanted to kill them. So in essence, Allah did not just introduce a different religion called Islam.
He completed the original system of life called Islam. It even says in the Qur’an, the only religion known to Allah is Islam. Moses, Jesus, Jacob, Adam were all Muslims.
Allah spread out the teachings little by little, not all at once. Even the Qur’an was revealed in a span of 23 years, not all at once to society.
It’s not a stupid question at all and I’m very glad you asked this, if you have further questions then do not hesitate.
… And now for some funny stuff …
For the Arab-aphile
pronunciation fails. But ask a non-native Arabic speaker
how to say “Astighfirallah” … Now that is funny.
For the business owners.
Corny? Sure. Bordering on the inappropriate? Mayhap. Still funny.
For the Harry Potter lover who has a wandering eye.
Yes, you.
For the foodies
There is WHAT in this Gumbo?
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I happened upon this blog post from Word Turtle entitled, veiled stereotypes: constructing and distorting muslim women. And of course I dropped in for a looky loo, seeing as how this is right in my wheel house. Give it a read, it truly is worth the time.
then you would be worthless
As a youth, I was first introduced to how the media instructs the populace about who they are, or (more aptly) who they should be. I came out the other side of a Seventeen magazine a crushed shell of a teenage girl. I learned from the media that a woman’s worth is in her attractiveness, and if she does not measure up (or down) she has no worth.
But as I entered college and decided on a career in journalism, I became familiar with the role the media plays and all the tricks they use, and was thankfully introduced to Jean Killbourne and her series “Killing Us Softly“. I became informed and began to heal my self worth.
I knew the detriment the media could bring about, so it was no surprise to me when I realized that I had bought another media myth that Muslim women were oppressed. The media not only tells us what to think about ourselves, it tells us what to think of others. And while it is detrimental for people to walk around with a distorted view of themselves, this is usually curable. Perceptions about oneself can and usually do change.
It is what the media sells us about others that is so harmful. Harmful because we are less likely to change our perceptions about
“Who is to blame for the war?” Nazi propaganda
those who are not in our day to day lives. The media plays a HUGE role in constructing and distorting our ideas of other human beings. Instead of recognizing each other as deeply complex and complicated people with family, history and rich inner lives; we instead take the cues from the media and form stereotypes, concluded prejudices and execute our humanity with hate. People who are other than us become tropes, less than human, and objects to do with what we wish. If there is any other greater avenue to evil, I am not aware of it.
Why the media does this is simple: It sells. The media is selling us a story of our life and times, where we (or at least the majority) are the heroes and the “other” is the villain. Hitler did this in his anti-semitic propaganda campaign very effectively. He sold the Jewish population as the enemy, and the populace bought it. Evil ensued. And even though the media tries to put the world in a box with a pretty ribbon on it, life doesn’t work like this. Evil ensues.
To illustrate how this is done, take a look at this graphic of a pregnant Muslim woman,
This image was uploaded to the Facebook page, “Stop the Islamization of America,” an open group created by right-wing authors Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer
and read how Omar, a commenter to the blog post mentioned earlier, has described so perfectly how this -and images like it- are so detrimental.
[Upon seeing the graphic] I immediately thought of the stories in the news of pregnant, Muslim women who have been attacked, including one which resulted in a miscarriage. I feel it important to comment on just how problematic the graphic is and unpack the imagery.
Graphics like this are not simply a statement of some looney person’s opinion, they invoke fear that calls the viewer to action. As Omar puts it,
[…] It invokes action by suggesting pregnancy is not a neutral state irrelevant to the general public, but instead an offensive tactic against the country requiring immediate defensive action – with the urgency highlighted by a lit wick. This poster is not only inciting violence against Muslim women, but taking it to an entirely new level by proposing that the solution to the supposed demographic threat is to attack pregnant, Muslim women.
Not only does this image incite violence against a group of people, a type of speech that is not protected under the First Amendment’s Freedom of Speech -i.e. this graphic is illegal– it dehumanizes the Muslim women. And once again as the illustrious Omar says, Read more ›
So it’s 2014, and I have officially been blogging for 1 year. How do I know? Because the money to pay for my domain name has been extracted from my bank account. Oh, is that a party foul to talk about the ins and out of financing a blog? Oh well! And since it is on my dime, I am going to take this opportunity to say a thing or two about what I have learned in my year of blogging and living and so on: the good, the bad, and the fugly
1. Blogging is a full time job
2. Most bloggers get paid in facebook likes (unless you sell your soul to the devil then you get paid in twitter followers.)
3. People fall into three categories 1- people who suck, 2-people who try to make the world a better place, and 3- people who have no reading comprehension.
4. Being consistent is hard.
5. We change very little from infancy, i.e. people only want to look at shapes and colors, i.e. pictures will bring people to your blog, but they probably won’t read anything you write. (of course “they” won’t, because pictures can’t read!)
6. 11 AM is not an acceptable time to wake up in the morning, even if you work from home and work 12 hour days.
7. Angry people often are just scared.
8. Maxi denims skirts (that don’t look super Pentecostal-y or matronly) are hard to come by. P.S. If you know where to find them, let me know.
12. I may be possessed with the spirit of a sailor. see #9-11.
13. There are a whole lot of women out there who hate women.
14. There are a whole lot of men out there who hate women.
15. Hijab shaming is just as effective as cleaning your kitchen with a dirty diaper.
16. Just when you think you are always right, you are the most wrong.
17. I can be stupid.
smart had one good idea and that idea was stupid.
18. But I am working on it.
19. If you don’t admit to #17 and haven’t tried # 18, I don’t want to know you.
20. Never blog after foot surgery, no matter what the Lortab told you.
21. Spelling “so” with more o’s doesn’t give it more emphasis, even if that is what you intended.
22. Going to Wal-Mart will help you feel less fat.
23. The common consensus does not create reality. This one was a painful lesson.
24. Usually the bigger the opinion the less informed the person.
25. Islam is amazing: Muslims could use some work.
See ya round in 2014!
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This video must be watched by all, Muslims and non-Muslims.
This video is for all those non-Muslims who think Islam oppresses women.
This video is for the feminist, Muslim and non-Muslim.
This video is for all of those Muslim men who think women are housemaids.
This video is for all those Muslim women who need to claim their rights and their religion.
Tamara Gray: American Muslim convert. Yes, it is 39 + minutes, but I have included a run-down of what you need to watch:
@ 2:35 – Declaration of Sentiments signed in 1848: The beginning of Feminism
@ 3:50 – Muslim Women in pre-colonial period benefited from Islam. Women had political, social, economic, educational, and religious power.
@7:15 – When Europeans began to rule Muslim lands, The European attitudes toward women as property and servants to men infiltrated Muslim societies.
@ 9:20 – In the face of deterioration of the rights of woman, Feminism took root. But became synonymous with anti-Islam or the non-religious woman.
@ 12:00 – Islam does indeed deal with the issue of the feminist movement.
@ 12:30 – Islam does not need Western Feminism, but Muslims could use a jolt of Western Feminism.
@ 13:50 – Striping colonialism from our thinking, getting back to women’s right in Islam is the only cure. Women at the time of the Prophet (Peace and Blessings Upon Him- PBUH) did not sit back and wait to be asked to participate. Women were integral in public, political, economic, civil, and educational roles AND were paid equally for it.
@ 17:00 – Hijab was/and is the ultimate way for women to be recognized as powerful and as someone who is to be respected.
@ 25:00 – What Muslim men are doing wrong according to Islam. A bit of retribution.
@ 27:00 – Men have a share in work at home. The Prophet would work at home, not help, but work. Housework is NOT the Islamic duty of a woman.
@ 30:00 – Support, encouragement, and celebration of women’s accomplishments is the tradition of the Prophet (PBUH).
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Written by Theresa Corbin I am at it again. Upcycling. I LOVE upcycling.
For those of you who have never heard of such a strange animal, let me introduce you.
up·cy·cle
[uhp-sahy-kuhl] verb up·cy·cled, up·cy·cling
to process (used goods or waste material) so as to produce something that is often better than the original: I upcycled a stained tablecloth into curtains. dictionary.com
Words cannot describe the sense of accomplishment that you get when you take something old and seemingly ready for the landfill and give it a new life and a new purpose. Maybe it is just a part of me that hopes that when I am old and worn out, I won’t be considered useless. Maybe it is my desire to be more green. It is a good color after all. O
r maybe it is my cheapness. I hate paying full price for anything (blogging and freelancing don’t pay the bills as it is)! Especially when it is so unoriginal and uninspired, as most retail junk is. So I am sharing a small glimpse of my passion of taking seemly useless junk and turning it into inspired awesomeness.
1. More than Pin Storage
Have you ever been given one of those baskets as a gift filled with soaps and scrubs and the like? Have extra soap lying around and wrapping paper you saved because it was just too cute to throw away? You are in luck because I have a simple project for you.
Take said superfluous soap and deliciously decorative wrapping paper and make a pin cushion that actually sharpens your pins. It’s exciting to think of all the swashbuckling you can do with a super sharp pin, but let’s play nice and use our newly sharpened pins for good and not evil, like pinning a hijab or securing a sewing project.
Stick needles and pins in a wrapped bar of soap. The soap’s oils make the pointy ends glide through fabric “sew” easily.
2. Clutter Buster
Next on the list is the perfect fix for the hijab clutter problem. Everyone has seen the pin on pinterest where you use shower curtain rings on a coat hanger to organize your scarves. But what pinterest won’t tell you (sneaky pinners) is that the shower curtain rings slip and drag the hanger down to one side. Boo! And even if you get all you hijabs perfectly spaced and the coat hanger is level, they still weight the hanger down, bending it out of shape. Double Boo!
A better way to go about it is to use stationary towel bars on the closet door (an over the door version is an awesome idea if you have one lying around, but use what you already have). This won’t wobble around the closet or bend the hanger out of shape. It is also a great way to organize your necklaces. Am I the only one who has a ton of shower curtain rings and hooks lying around the house?
I am in love with this hijab look. It is part Celtic, part Muslimah, and that is right in my wheelhouse. The best part is that you can turn almost anything into a cowl: an old sweater, a t-shirt, a skirt, a piece of fabric you don’t know what to do with, a towel (OK, maybe not a towel. I went too far. But you know what I mean).
Another great thing about your own cowl is that it doesn’t have to be attached to one particular sweater/top/abaya so you can mix and match with anything. And you can make it long enough to cover your chest, just wear with an amira hijab underneath and you are good to go.
http://www.instructables.com beware the link: awesome tutorial, but there is some weird bathing suited, lady gaga emulation going on.
– Cut the fabric to 45″ x 35″ -Fold the fabric in half on the 45″ side so it is now 22.5″x35″- Sew the two 35″ sides together. -Turn it inside out so the seam is on the inside. The fabric should look like a tube.
4. The Maxi
Everyone needs a maxi dress and everyone has at least a few shirts they were going to give a proper burial at Goodwill. Save the trip to the second hand store and whip up a must have closet staple. (if you steal your husband’s old shirts for this project, I won’t tell)
Pick the colors that go together from your pile of giveaways. Cut. Sew. Wear. It’s as easy as that.
clothedmuch.com Since it is DIY, you can make it with a long sleeve shirt at the top!
Chic Girl’s Tip: Anytime you plan to up-cycle jersey knit pieces, wash and dry the clothes before cutting them for your projects. For this project, I used the largest shirt as the bottom layer and smallest for the top to make sure the shape of the skirt portion was a-line.
You can find more upcycling and DIY projects when you visit islamwich on Pinterest. Put the fun back in functionality!
Follow us (upper right of the page), email us (islamwich@yahoo.com), like our face with your face on Facebook, like the post, share it, pin it, comment on it, and/or do whatever social media magic it is that you prefer. Find out more about us in the understandably named “About Us” page and browse other posts in our brand spanking new “Table of Contents”.
Here I am in my early 30s and a few times a week at least I hear heart wrenching stories about our youth. I understand that this newer generation of Muslims live in a more connected world and have difficulties that were unknown to me in my time. However, it seems for the most part they are falling into some of the same traps over and over. Maybe you are the first generation born in the West, maybe you are a convert whose parents have been here for generations, or maybe you just recently moved here from overseas.
I think that one more list on how to not mess up your life can only help, and this list is for you. You might not have problems with all these issues, but if we can spare you just one, we will celebrate.
So here we go, world. What follows is from the experiences and tales of many a young person, now old, all collected and combined to help you, if you will only listen.
The Top 5 Regrets of Our Youth
#5 Falling for Mainstream Media
I’m sorry, but if you are that easy to imitate, excuse me if I question your $300 price tag.
It is all about making you into a good little consumer. Yes, maybe that is good for business and the economy, but in all honesty- most of what you see in TV dramas and commercials do not matter –ask any mature adult. Things that you need do not need advertising.
No one needs to convince me to buy bread. That is something I would do on my own without a reminder, diamonds however need constant advertising because no one really needs that. Use your brain, don’t fall for it and don’t fall for people who do- they will make you miserable.
Young people, we understand that you are in the stage of building an identity and the fact that you are young probably means you really haven’t done much to make you feel like you have one.
Dressing in name brand clothes, just makes you a walking billboard, and looking towards movie or tv created characters to give you some guidance is just as unoriginal. Instead, try focusing your identity building energies into doing some really creative or helpful activities.
Organize or be a part of community volunteer activities, or try mastering something- it could be a new language, website building, sewing or an art…something …anything. Throwing on a pair of expensive sunglasses is just LAZY. W
hen you get older it will not make you interesting. Cool guys and gals looking to marry will be more impressed with a bit of French, that you are a chess master, or created your own comic book line rather than the fact that you own a bunch of expensive shoes.
Need more guidance than that and emulating is your thing- I have the perfect solution for that! Look at the prophet (peace be upon him) to help build a healthy Muslim identity. There is more to him than what your parents have told you. You might be surprised. Go read something.
#4 Dabbling in Drugs/Alcohol
Just because it isn’t sold on the street corner doesn’t make it safe. Abusing and mixing prescription drugs is just as stupid.
Not everyone is into this, but it needs to be mentioned because this is actually a problem that exists in our communities. Interestingly enough, it is not just consuming these things, but selling them, because there is a whole lot of money in it.
Guys like money, because it makes them feel strong with all that spending power and they notice the girls watching them. Girls, help out by not being so obsessed by what a brother can buy you, and brothers- please- you know it isn’t right, even if you plan on repenting later (if you get a “later”)…what kind of plan is that??
For those that experiment and consume these substances, I don’t need to tell you it is haram. Just remember you are taking a huge risk of becoming an addict. Some people automatically become addicts, and for others it takes time- which one will you be?
Who knows, just don’t do it. I’ve never met anyone that regretted not dabbling in some drugs or getting drunk. Spend your money on something else; entertain yourself with more worthwhile people (see #5 above). Memories (or lack of) an activity you fell into while under the influence is most likely not going to have a happy ending.
#3 Not Focused on Future Employment
People say “go to university so you can get a job”, not so true in the West anymore- not everyone wants to or can go to University anyway.
I am just saying:
#1 figure out what kind of employment you are going to be chasing (we all need to pay bills and eat in the real world)
#2 figure out what it is going to take to get there (is it a degree, an apprenticeship, work experience?)
#3 hustle, young blood
20s aren’t the new 30s- you need direction and good plan. If you realize that you don’t really have one- it is okay to ask for help (you’re actually smarter for it). Poor and confused at 30 is no fun. Before you know it, you are going to be partnering up and maybe even having a baby or 5.
Knock this stuff out NOW. If motherhood is a career path you choose, having something to fall back on in case disaster strikes doesn’t hurt. It is nice to be in the position to help others and not having to ask for sadaqa (charity) from others.
#2 Being Asinine About Your Parents
She wiped your butt for years. Whose butt have you wiped? Give her a call.
I know, they seem boring and aggravating now. It is strange to think that someone who has lived much, much, much longer than you can actually know more than you. Maybe you look at their life and think “why should I listen to them, look at their own life,”- as if people do not learn from their mistakes and then have valuable guidance to give you.
Maybe they have not even been super nice to you. Young people, as a general life rule -unless you have gone through what someone else has gone through – you really have no right to judge. That means, until you have kids that you have raised from baby to teens you really need to keep your “critical analyze” to yourself.
There is a reason being good to your parents is so important in Islam. You owe EVERYTHING you are and have first to Allah, and then to them. Go ahead and disagree with me now- we’ll talk again in 10+ years (extreme cases exempt from this- seek professional help). Another thing, parents die, and when they do -it is horrible. Even if you are so emotionally harden that their passing means nothing to you, just realize that at the most basic level, that means you have just moves up in the ol’ mortality line.
For those of you that have a heart, you’re going to feel like a selfish bucket of ^$&* every time you think of the time you were too busy to spend time with them or just make them a cup of coffee.
#1 Pre-marital Sex
There was a huge sermon about this at the masjid I go to. Turns out parents are sending young men and women to university or into the world expecting them to suppress their natural biological desires until the best possible marriage possibility comes along. That means for some guys- into their 30s. Good grief, even the religious amongst us are falling into zina, because it goes against nature for goodness sakes.
Parents- you are being unrealistic. If you are lucky and your kid isn’t out there fornicating, there is a possibility your kid might just bring home a wife/husband you don’t like, hook them up (to be clear- help, not force) before this happens if a nice daughter/son-in-law matters to you.
Young, people, maybe you just plan on being friends with that cute guy/girl. Nothing is going to happen, because you are both in the MSA, right? WRONG!!!!!! I have heard so many stories of this happening, both parties being so tempted that they find themselves going down a trail of ridiculous justifications and excuses, until bam zina has been committed.
Zina has regret stamped all over it, not like a bad dream you can just forget. This should not be happening in our communities. Our country is stable, not chaotic, and relatively wealthy compared to the rest of the world. Just get married people! If he/she is delaying it- you are being played…sorry…truth hurts…find another guy/girl- there are so many.
As for the guys thinking they are just going to mess around and not marry the girl they are playing: realize that many guys end up marrying girls they never ever, ever, EVER thought they would because of this. Also many a baby and STD have been made/spread by failed contraceptives and with 110 million STDs among men and women in the USA- good luck figuring out who is who.
Being young is not easy. I estimate about half of you will fight me on every topic here (because you know better; and this won’t happen to you-sure, good luck with that). The other 49% will agree with me, but will not follow the advice here (you are a special snowflakes, which means the average pattern of life doesn’t apply to you *massive eye roll*).
But to the 1% who does … you guys are awesome and will have plenty of room in your closets- instead of the bunch of skeletons your cocky peers will acquire through the next 10 years.
Go forth and prosper!!
Skeleton free!
Salam, Gracie
Follow us (upper right of the page), email us (islamwich@yahoo.com), like our face with your face on Facebook, like the post, share it, pin it, comment on it, and/or do whatever social media magic it is that you prefer. Find out more about us in the understandably named “About Us” page and browse other posts in our brand spanking new “Table of Contents”.
I am at it again. Upcycling. I LOVE upcycling. 
islamwich 